EC Dismisses Bulgarian EconMin's Remakrs on South Stream

European legislation is applied to all infrastructure which is under the EU's jurisdiction, the EU Commission said on Thursday.

The comments were made hours after Bulgaria's Economy Minister Dragomir Stoynev met the EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger in Brussels and said that a recent EP directive, condemning the South Stream and recommending that it be stopped, could be in force only for the exploitation of gas pipeline, but not for their construction.

Sabine Berger, the spokesperson for EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, reminded that Bulgarian territorial waters also fell under European jurisdiction, despite legal amendments introduced a few weeks ago allowing the South Stream to go around the EU's legislation.

Berger was quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio as saying that if the gas pipeline is constructed contrary to European legislation regarding public procurement or is against the requirements set by the Third Energy Package for energy liberalization in Europe, the commission will have to "take measures".

Kapital Daily quoted Berger as saying the EC expressed concern over the bilateral agreements on the South Stream between Bulgaria and Russia.

Stoynev earlier said the amendments had only been adopted at first reading and could be revised if the opposition puts forward a better proposal.